STORRS, Conn. -- The University of Connecticut field hockey team has been ranked No. 1 in the 2015 Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I Preseason Poll, as announced on Tuesday.

The Huskies gathered 27 first-place votes on their way to 1,060 total points to clinch the top spot. UNC was picked second with 1,042 points and 12 first-place votes while Maryland completed the trio with 11 first-place votes and 999 total points. Syracuse (973) and Duke (837) rounded out the top-five.

UConn heads into the season coming off back-to-back NCAA Division I National Championships, Big East Tournament titles and Big East regular season crowns during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Connecticut's No. 1 ranking leads all Big East schools, with conference rival Old Dominion clocking in at No. 16 with 349 points. Earlier this month, the Huskies were unanimously chosen to win the league by a vote of the conference's coaches.

Seven of UConn's 19 opponents were ranked in the preseason poll, led by sixth-ranked Stanford.

The Huskies will open the 2015 season on Friday, Aug. 28 at 1 p.m. when they visit No. 10 Northwestern.